1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to microscope slides.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Microscope slides are used for performing diverse types of laboratory microscopic analysis. The slides typically have a transparent base plate to which are attached or as part are a plurality of integrally formed spaced apart parallel boundaries which define an area for containing a liquid sample. A coverslip or other transparent cover is attached to the boundaries to define a plurality of adjacent volumetric chambers which contain samples. The cost of manufacturing these reusable slides is high. The slides are reused to minimize the cost of their use. The cost of cleaning for consequent reuse is in itself a significant expense when a laboratory is using a large number of slides to run a repeated analysis or diverse types of analysis.
Cunningham and Szenberg in Immunology 1968, 14, pages 599-601 describe a method for detecting plaque forming cells. The method is described as using "[f]our pieces of `double-sided` tape (SCOTCH brand No. 410), each 1/4 in. wide, . . . laid across a clean microscope slide (75.times.25 mm) dividing it into three equal areas . . . pre-cleaned coverslips (22 mm square) are pressed firmly onto the tape to form three shallow chambers, as shown in FIG. 1." In a note it is further stated "[l]arge numbers of slide chambers may be very quickly assembled by substituting a second slide for the coverslips and using three strips of tape instead of four."
Classes in immunology at the Univ. of Wisconsin in 1974 or 1975 were given a microscope slide design as part of class material. FIGS. 1 and 2 infra of the drawings illustrate the aforementioned slide design.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,866 discloses a disposable volumetric slide having tape boundaries for defining chambers similar to those disclosed in the aforementioned prior art.
Slides having chamber boundaries defined by single pieces of tape coated on two sides have disadvantages. In practice it has been found that this type of slide is subject to leakage from and between the volumetric chambers. That leakage can be difficult to detect within the boundary area for the reason that there is insufficient volume into which liquid sample may accumulate to facilitate its visual detection. A fluid leakage path across a single continuous tape boundary does not usually have sufficient volume to permit detection of significant leaks. In some types of analysis it is important to use a precise volume of sample contained within the sample area. Laboratory personnel can not insure accuracy of microscopic analysis without a method for easily visually detecting if leakage has occured. Moreover, the susceptibility of the slide to leakage greatly enhances the possibility of cross contamination between adjacent volumetric chambers.